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Select Board approves Concord 250 food trucks and hears detailed transportation plan for April 19 event
Summary
The Select Board approved Concord 250 food truck deployments for downtown clusters and authorized transportation arrangements that include buses, vans and parking management; staff described transit routes, parking lots and budgets for the April 19 event.
The Town of Concord Select Board on March 17 approved requests to allow multiple food trucks to operate during Concord 250 events and heard a detailed update on transportation and parking plans for the April 19 celebration.
Town staff and Concord 250 volunteers said the food trucks will cluster in two main locations—Walden Street lot and Stow Street—and that trucks will work in two shifts so some will trade out around 3 p.m. to avoid interfering with road closures and parade operations. Staff described a food map that will show truck locations and said health‑department approval and vehicle size constraints remain part of final placement.
The board moved and approved the Concord 250 food truck request by voice vote. Staff emphasized that approvals were required because the town’s food‑truck ordinance requires select board authorization when more than two vendors gather in one place.
Separately, Concord 250 leaders provided a transportation update that outlines in‑town and regional transport assets: 25 school district buses for shuttle service from satellite parking lots; 3 Council on Aging vans and 6 Minuteman ARC vans for mobility support; 12 golf carts for short trips and dignitary transport; and an executed contract with First Student for 20 additional buses to run two routes starting about 6 a.m. and running through about 9 p.m. on April 19. The transportation plan includes 13 lots reserved for residents, approximately seven satellite lots for visitors, and an estimated in‑town transportation budget of about $35,000; event organizers also said a separate $50,000 gift had been earmarked mostly for transportation.
Organizers said the MBTA has published special events information and will accept bikes on commuter rail for the event. The Minuteman ARC and Council on Aging vans will be used to assist residents with mobility needs. Staff said pan‑mass bike‑rack donations will supply 200 racks to Concord (200 to Lexington), and volunteers are working on rack installation.
Board members asked how residents will be informed about resident‑only lots; staff said communication will use schools, town notices and other local channels. The board and staff also discussed arrival, staging and turnover logistics for trucks, particularly the 3 p.m. shift change; public‑safety staff and vendors are coordinating ingress and egress plans.
Select Board members and event volunteers said a public forum on April 1 will give residents an opportunity to ask questions about transportation and other event logistics.
